Jan's Plans & Pans - August 2, 2023

Dear John xxxxxx,

Last week, Republican chaos resulted in an early start to the August work period, leaving 11 appropriations bills to be discussed when we get back to Washington next month. To pass the budget on time, all these bills must be signed into law by the end of September. Unfortunately, many of my Republican colleagues would rather facilitate a government shutdown than support pragmatic policies in these must-pass bills.

This week, I’m glad to be back in the district making myself accessible to constituents. As always, please reach out to my office if I can ever be of assistance. I look forward to so many of you out and about this August!

Have a great rest of the week,

Schakowsky Celebrates National Intern Day

My office would not be complete without our amazing interns! Anna, Maeve, and Jack, your creativity, enthusiasm, and hard work made all the difference this summer. I cannot wait to see the big things these three accomplish. 

Schakowsky Secures Funds to Further Apna Ghar's Support for Gender-Based Violence Survivors

Thanks to Community Project Funds, I secured $300,000 to help Apna Ghar establish a mobile advocacy unit. Apna Ghar does incredible work providing resources to survivors of gender-based violence, and particularly focuses on immigrant communities.

Schakowsky Meets with Director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

We must always prioritize the well-being of our consumers. I met with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Director, Rohit Chopra, and advocates from across our community to discuss how we can partner together on student loan debt relief, renter protections, and protecting vulnerable populations from fraud.

Upcoming Neighborhood Office Hours with Constituent Advocates

Constituent Advocates will be holding neighborhood office hours to meet with constituents who need assistance with federal agencies or issues including: Social Security, Medicare, passports, immigration, the IRS, and the VA. 

Marie, a constituent whose son needed assistance obtaining an immigrant visa:

By late 2022, Marie's son had been waiting 10 years for an interview to obtain a visa to reunite with his mother. Their attorney had paid all of the fees and uploaded a completed DS-260 but encountered issues with uploading other necessary documents.

Their case was stalled indefinitely when their lawyer was unable to get in contact with the National Visa Center to remedy the technical difficulties. With the assistance of a Constituent Advocate in my District Office, as well as a congressional liaison at the National Visa Center, they were able to receive guidance on an alternative method to submitting these documents. 

While there was initially a communication barrier, Marie was persistent in advocating for her son and was able to receive assistance and reassurance from a French-speaking Constituent Advocate in my office. This past month she came to the office, with her son, to express her gratitude for the office's assistance. Below is a photo of Marie, her son, and Krissy, the Constituent Advocate who was able to help this family not only navigate our immigration system, but do so in their native language of French. 

Access Your Veterans Benefits

Thanks to the PACT Act, over 3 million toxic-exposed veterans can now access the health care they earned. There’s no deadline to apply for these benefits but be sure to apply for backdated benefits by Aug. 9th here.

Passport Renewal

As the summer travel season approaches, be sure to check your passport before you book travel! This year, the U.S. State Department has seen an unprecedented number of passport applications. To put things into perspective, last year, my office assisted with 422 passport cases. Since January of this year, my office has already handled 529 passport cases. 

Current processing times for passports are: 10-13 weeks for routine and 7-9 weeks for expedited. These times are subject to change and are posted on the Dept. of State Website.  Please apply well in advance of your travel date – if your travel date is sooner than the current processing times, you may not get your passport in time for travel.

Please remember that emergency in-person appointments at the Chicago Passport Agency are intended for emergencies and availability is not guaranteed unless it is a life or death emergency! These appointments are not and have never been intended for routine renewal. If you have upcoming travel you should NOT plan on receiving an appointment at the Chicago Passport Agency. Passport renewals are intended to go through the mail.

Did you know that many countries require your passport to be valid for several months beyond your date of travel? Depending on your destination, validity requirements can vary from 3 to 6 months beyond the date of travel! You can check the requirements for your destination on the Dept. of State Website under "International Travel" and "Country Information".

If you have planned travel and have a pending application that may not arrive on time, or if you need an emergency appointment at the Chicago Passport Agency, the Constituent Advocates in my District Office are happy to help! Please call the office at 773-506-7100, or you can open a case with my office online.